Arne Slot has secret weapon vs West Ham – but Nuno Espirito Santo will pray he doesn’t start
Federico Chiesa could be the difference for Liverpool against West Ham and recent history suggests that’s not good news for Nuno Espirito Santo.
West Ham will host Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.
This comes after West Ham’s 2-2 draw to Bournemouth temporarily lifted them from the relegation zone.
While West Ham aren’t favourites against Liverpool, their three-game unbeaten streak will give fans hope heading into the game.
Unfortunately for them, the outcome of the match is set to depend heavily on Arne Slot’s choices.
Federico Chiesa’s substitute displays are a concern
Nuno will have more than his team’s performance to worry about when West Ham face Liverpool on Sunday.
Chiesa has been one of the most effective substitutes in the Premier League this season.
The Liverpool forward has recorded 7.10 shots per 90 which is the most in the league.
This is almost double that of Marc Guiu, who has recorded 4.60 shots per game this period. His shot conversion rate hasn’t been too shabby either, with it sitting at 18.2 per cent thus far.
As a substitute, Chiesa has netted two goals and provided one assist in just 139 games played.
This averages to 1.94 goals and assists per 90 – a rate higher than Erling Haaland who has recorded 1.30 GA per game.
Chiesa is no doubt a super-sub and could make all the difference when the two sides battle it out on Sunday.
West Ham’s focus could pose an issue
Given that Chiesa is yet to start in the Premier League this season, there is a high chance he comes on as a second-half substitute.
West Ham’s second-half stats have been shaky these past couple of match days:
- The Hammers have conceded a total of three goals in the second half in back-to-back games
- Two of these goals have come after the 80th minute
Chiesa is a direct and technical forward, which makes him a nightmare for tired legs.
As a result, the Hammers’ lack of focus towards the end of the game could be catastrophic if the Italian international is introduced in the final minutes.
It wouldn’t be bold to assume that Nuno will be praying Slot starts him on Sunday, at least that way, he’d be easier to contain.
But as it stands, Slot has a secret weapon on his hands, and Nuno has hours to figure out how to nullify him.
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